International legal practice Osborne Clarke has advised leading mid-market private equity firm, LDC, on an investment for a minority equity stake in Plimsoll Productions, valuing the business at around £80 million. Plimsoll will continue to be led by CEO and Founder Grant Mansfield.
Plimsoll, creator of the Hostile Planet series, is aiming to drive its global growth strategy with the new investment. With LDC’s support and investment, Mansfield, the 2018 Daily Telegraph SME Business Leader of the Year, and his team will continue to drive the business forward, invest in its natural history and documentary divisions as well as drive further expansion into the US and new global markets.
Headquartered in Bristol, the international centre of the natural history television industry, Plimsoll is one of the largest independent television production companies in the UK. Its BAFTA, EMMY and Academy Award-winning team specialises in wildlife, documentary, live and factual entertainment shows and it is a global leader in natural history programmes. It is behind more than 50 series, 14 live shows and seven films including the Emmy nominated Hostile Planet with Bear Grylls (National Geographic).
The company distributes to more than 50 countries worldwide through Magnify Media, a company it took a significant stake in three years ago. Today its content is broadcast across more than 70 international territories. In the financial year ending August 2019, the business is on track to generate sales in excess of £35 million.
The Osborne Clarke team was led by corporate Partner Alisdair Livingstone and supported by Associate Director Chris Yeo and Senior Associate James Taylor (both Corporate), Partner Tom Bussy and Senior Associate Tom Berisford (both Banking), as well as Senior Associates Luolan Dong (Tax), Dan Sharman (Incentives) and Natasha Burbidge (Employment).
Alisdair said: "It's been a pleasure to support LDC through this process and as a highly successful Bristol-based business with a global reach, Plimsoll will make another strong addition to LDC's existing portfolio. We wish the team all the best for the next phase in their journey."
Osborne Clarke's Corporate team is considered a go-to practice for many companies in the tech, media and comms sector, working with global businesses to fast-growth start-ups and market challengers. The team advises at every stage of company development across all corporate issues, from equity and debt fundraisings to M&A, IPOs and JVs.
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